What Did You Think of This Week's Comics? - January 9, 2018

Young Justice returns and Spider-Man gets friendly.

By Jesse Schedeen, Meg Downey

It was another big week for the comic book industry. Marvel relaunched Captain Marvel's monthly series with a new creative team and debuted Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. DC kicked off the new Wonder Comics imprint with Young Justice #1 and delivered a dark new chapter of Batman.

Scroll down to check out our new reviews and thinkpieces, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.

Batman #62 Review

Written by Tom King | Drawn by Mitch Gerads

"The story featured in Batman #61 would have been a disappointing addition to the series regardless, but the fact that it served as such an abrupt, unexpected shift from issue #60's cliffhanger ending certainly didn't help. At some point, DC opted to flip-flop the contents of Batman #61 and #62. Had this issue been published first, as originally intended, it would have helped ease the transition between storylines. But better late than never." -Jesse

8.5

Captain Marvel #1 Review

Written by Kelly Thompson | Drawn by Carmen Carnero

"At least as far back as the 2005 Ms. Marvel series, there's been a clear desire on Marvel's part to elevate Carol Danvers into one of the premier heroes of the Marvel Universe. In that time, we've seen her take up the mantle of Captain Marvel, don an iconic new costume and serve as a driving force behind major conflicts like Civil War II. But through it all, it's never felt as though Marvel has a clear idea of who Carol is and how she should be portrayed. The constant revolving door of creative teams, relaunched books and status quo changes lately hasn't helped one bit. Frustratingly, that sense of indecision is felt throughout the course of Captain Marvel #1." -Jesse

6.5

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 Review

Written by Tom Taylor | Drawn by Juann Cabal w/ Marcelo Ferreira

"Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's mission statement is basically right there in its title. Whereas Amazing Spider-Man continues to serve as the flagship, continuity-defining Spider-Man comic, this spinoff series is more concerned with exploring the smaller day-to-day struggles of Peter Parker and his supporting cast. It's enough to question how much Marvel actually needs a book like this when there's been so much emphasis on restoring Peter to a more traditional status quo in the pages of ASM lately. But with a creative team this talented, what more reason do you need?" -Jesse

8.3

Young Justice #1 Review

Written by Brian Michael Bendis | Drawn by Patrick Gleason

"How long has it been since DC has had a great ensemble comic focused on teenage heroes? The Teen Titans franchise has been repeatedly overhauled since the advent of the New 52, but to no avail. You really have to look all the way back to Geoff Johns 2003-2005 Teen Titans run to find a period where DC was truly doing right by these characters. And that's despite the fact that DC has been finding so much success in the TV realm thanks to shows like Titans, Teen Titans Go! and Young Justice." -Jesse

8.1

The Next Great Dark Fantasy Saga Is Called Monstress

"Over the last decade, pop culture has been in the throes of an epic fantasy renaissance. From prestige television like Game of Thrones to all-ages cartoons like She-Ra and The Princesses of Power to the explosive resurgence of tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons care of podcasts and livestreams, audiences everywhere are hungry for swords and sorcery -- and even the traditionally cape and cowl dominated world of comic books is taking note of the trend in its own, totally unique way. Writer Marjorie Liu and artist Sana Takeda's award-winning ongoing series Monstress from Image Comics (See it on Amazon) has presented western comics with their very own fantasy epic by weaving the threads of classic superhero tropes, action manga style, and expansive world-building into a brand new cloth." -Meg